Ships have operated safely on the Mississippi River for years, Landry said, pledging to investigate what had occurred.

Still covered in dirt from the boat crash, Joe Knab of Kansas told New Orleans NBC affiliate WDSU that the ship quickly capsized after the collision.

He spent about 20 minutes in the water before being rescued.

“When we first went in we were bobbing underneath the water; it was sinking pretty fast, but we finally got out of there,” he said.

Jamie Holford, a witness to the crash, told the BBC’s US partner CBS that he had seen the cruise ship hit the dock following the collision.

“It sounded like a war movie. Just imagine tons of steel crunching. That’s what it sounded like,” he said. “It looked like something off the Titanic.”

Holford added that he had seen passengers and crew “hollering” and “crying” as they tried to get off the ship while it was sinking.

The American Heritage can carry up to 150 guests and features a glass-enclosed restaurant, fitness centre and three guest lounges, according to its website.

Built in 2015, the vessel has at least four decks.